Sagan linked to lucrative deal with planned Alonso WorldTour team

Italian media claims Slovakian prodigy could earn 3.3 million euro per year

He’s underlined his status as one of the strongest riders in cycling despite his youth, turning 24 yesterday, and now Peter Sagan has been linked with a lucrative move to the new WorldTour team planned by Fernando Alonso.

The Slovakian rider, who has won the green jersey in the past two Tours de France, clocked up four stages in all plus three in the Vuelta a España, is regarded as a rider who could go on to dominate the sport.

According to Tuttobici, his potential is highly regarded by Alonso and his squad. It states that a provisional two year deal has been agreed between the rider and the team, with Sagan reportedly set to earn 3.3 million euro per season.

UCI rules prohibit the signing of contracts this early in the season, but pre-agreements can serve as commitments between two parties. Sagan has been with the Liquigas Cannondale/Cannondale setup since 2010, making this his fifth consecutive year as part of the setup. His contract is due to conclude at the end of the season, though, giving him the chance to look elsewhere.

In addition to his Grand Tour success, Sagan has also won the Tour de Pologne and the Giro di Sardegna, as well as taking Gent-Wevelgem, Brabantse Pijl and the GP Cycliste de Montréal in 2013.

He was also second in both Milan-Sanremo and the Tour of Flanders, and took stages in the Tour de France, USA Pro Cycling Challenge, Tour of California, Tour of Alberta, Tour of Oman, Tour de Suisse, Three Days of De Panne and Tirreno Adriatico.

In all he won 22 races, underlining his position as one of the top names in the sport. It appears a matter of time before he wins one of cycling’s Monuments.

The unnamed Alonso team was at one point potentially going to debut in 2014, with the Formula One driver and his representatives in negotiations last autumn with the owners of the Euskaltel team. That was stopping due to a lack of sponsorship, and there were discussions about Alonso possibly taking over the WorldTour licence, some of the contracts plus the team infrastructure.

Negotiations broke down, however, and Alonso decided to wait until 2015. Sagan is one of the biggest names linked to the team, although it is thought that Alberto Contador could potentially move there when his current deal with Team Tinkoff Saxo concludes.